THE ELDEST brother of Linda and Charlotte Mulhall, two sisters who are serving sentences for killing their mother's boyfriend, told gardaí he robbed two prostitutes to support Linda's four children and his own six.
James Mulhall (35) took on the children in 2006 after Linda was jailed for 15 years for manslaughter, and Charlotte, his other sister, was jailed for life for the murder of Farah Swaleh Noor.
Garda Deirdre Conway told prosecuting counsel Isobel Kennedy SC at the Central Criminal Court that Mulhall said he already had his own six children to care for and was desperate for money.
Mulhall, of Ardmore Walk, and Paul Draper (30), of Fortunestown Green, both Tallaght, pleaded guilty before Mr Justice Paul Carney to two counts of robbery of prostitutes on September 26th and October 5th, 2006.
They robbed €800 cash and nine mobile phones from the first prostitute at Isolde's Towers Apartments, Lower Exchange Street, near Dublin city centre, and €250 cash, an Apple iPod and five mobile phones from the second victim at The George, Charlotte Quay, Ringsend.
Garda Conway told Ms Kennedy the pair forced their way into apartments of the two women who worked as prostitutes, and stole the cash and other property.
The first victim was a Brazilian who had advertised on a website. On the night she was robbed she received about 15 calls from a man looking for the Isolde's Towers Apartments. When he found it she let him in but then the second man forced the door open. The two demanded money and took €800 in cash and nine mobile phones.
Garda Conway said gardaí accepted that Draper was the first man and Mulhall pushed the door open.
She said that about a week later the two phoned the number of a South African prostitute from the same website. Draper arrived first at her apartment on Charlotte Quay in Ringsend, and again Mulhall forced the door open when his accomplice was let in. This time they took €250, five mobile phones and an Apple iPod.
Garda Conway said a friend of the woman picked up a knife in the kitchen and Draper picked up a bottle, saying: "Put the knife down before I smash this bottle over you." The woman then ran out a window into the courtyard and shouted at two men to phone gardaí. Mulhall and Draper dragged her by the hair back through the window.
Mr Justice Carney will sentence them this morning after he has read various reports.